With Flashes of Bravado
by 002219
Summary: When a boy left his uncle for Tokyo-3, the elderly man gave him a music player. Among those classical, boring, loner tracks, there lies a single, distinct song- a song of peace and love. Or, to be more specific, a song for GREAT JUSTICE.


"Oh- before you go, I have a surprise present for you."

The boy tilted his head in confusion, looking up at his uncle. The elderly man smiled at his expectant look, and extended his right hand, which had been hidden behind his back the whole conversation.

"It's a music player I used to love. I won't be needing it anymore, so you can have it."

Hesitantly accepting the present, the boy smiled as well, and bowed in gratitude.

* * *

On the train that leads to the city of Tokyo-3, the boy plugged his ears with the new earphones. He did this to isolate himself from the rest of the passengers, while also trying to calm his nerves down.

He was about to meet his long-gone father, after all.

Idly, the boy clicked through the songs in the music player, until he discovered one that stood out among the rest.

_Track 27. Beat a Nail With Your Hammer!_

…

Utter silence. Then, the boy shrugged, and said,

"Why not?"

After all, what could possibly go wrong?

Everything, the answer was.

* * *

"_3 seconds in, raising the curtains of paradise,"_

* * *

Somewhere else, in the borders of a city, a beast roared and began its attack.

Blue pattern was confirmed. The first enemy had returned.

* * *

"_To what extent are you willing to go?"_

* * *

The boy determinedly stepped out of the train. He confidently strode down the street, ignoring its deserted state. He bravely picked up the public phone.

A chaotic rumbling could be heard in the distance. In a pose of manliness, he looked up.

And a blue car, the transport he assumed would be the hero's vehicle, skidded to a halt in front of him.

* * *

"_Spontaneous danger, negative campaign-_

_It's still your turn, going on forever!"_

* * *

"Alright, just walk," the woman instructed.

The boy complied, muttering, "Walk, I must walk. Walk, walk, WALK!"

An observing scientist sighed, and rubbed her forehead. "What is with that boy?" she asked to herself.

* * *

"_That's some handicap! The battle had just begun-_

_Shout! Cather! You're indestructible!"_

* * *

The Eva clashed with the enemy, both fighting for an advantage over the other.

"RAAAAAAAARRRRRGGGHHHHH!"

Back at the base, watching the fight from a monitor, an old man, the Vice-Commander, remarked, "I did not know our enemies could produce such human-like noises."

The commander responds, "It wasn't the enemy."

* * *

"_Body burning until it runs out of energy!"_

* * *

The boy unleashed a powerful uppercut, shooting his opponent to the sky. He jumped after it, passing it by in the air, before backhanding it back down to the earth.

* * *

"_BA-BA-BA- BANG! Burning spirit!"_

* * *

The engineers cheered as their pilot trashed the bringer of war. With a final punch, the Eva finished the now-diminished threat.

Staring at the roaring boy, the scientist sighs, "Well, at least he can fight."

"Slaughter is more like it," her friend mutters to the side.

Watching from afar, in her own room, a blue-haired girl finally found something to be curious about.

* * *

"_Your warrior's heart is at critical mass!"_

* * *

The next enemy he fought, he fought with the same ferocity. There was no pattern to his attacks; there was no discipline that guided his limbs. All that existed was a torrent of destruction, a force of nature- one that will wreak havoc on all evildoers.

For great justice.

* * *

"_BA-BA-BA- BANG! Burning spirit!_

_The undying flame that can crush mountains!"_

* * *

"The Damage Control Division is freaking out," the Vice-Commander noted. "I suppose it is justified, given that we had just destroyed a mountain."

"Can't we just say it was self-defense?" asked the woman leading the operation.

At this, the elderly man smiled. "I did not say they were complaining."

And a sound crackled to life, one with the boy's voice.

For all to hear, he shouted:

* * *

"_Believe in your heart, reaching out to the shining sun!_

_The passion is flaring up! Let its light rush through you like a dragon!"_

* * *

And in response, all around the world, those who were watching shouted along with him:

* * *

"_BURNING BANG!"_

* * *

A concert was eventually made in the boy's honor. After every victory, they would set up in Tokyo-3 and blow everyone's minds by _rocking out._

* * *

"_Bang! Bang! Bang Bang Ba-Bang!_

_Bang! Bang! Bang Bang Ba-Bang!_

_Bang! Bang! Bang Bang Ba-Bang!_

_Bang! Bang! Bang Bang Ba-Bang!"_

* * *

It all remained that way… until the Unit 03 incident.

The enemy overtook the Evangelion, and turned it against its fellow Evas. All attempts to stop it were shoved aside, and the beast roared, its body the same mighty steed the boy drove into battle.

* * *

"_Four seconds in, now on the verge of defeat._

_Can this overwhelming lead be overthrown?"_

* * *

The blue-haired girl moved her unit across the field. Prototype it may be, but it can still pack quite a punch.

And in her mind, she recalled her fellow pilot's words:

* * *

"_Strengthen your guard, take the chance._

_Calmly process the situation-_

_Your opponent is pathetic!"_

* * *

Yes, she decided. Her opponent was pathetic. And she was superior.

Boldly, she claimed,

"I am the white void.

I am the cold steel.

I am the just sword.

With blade in hand…"

And for Ikari's sake:

"I shall reap the sins of this world,

and cleanse it in the fires of destruction.

I am Ayanami Rei. Your end has come."

* * *

"_Somehow, it seems that giving up is impossible!"_

* * *

Heartbreak overtook the boy.

The battle against Unit 03 ended with heavy losses. For the first time, his will wavered.

He left the field. He was ready to throw away all that which he had obtained, just for a chance to get back his normal life.

And then, the next enemy came.

Yet another one of his friends fell; devoured by the newest threat.

In that train, that which he had found his purpose-

* * *

"_You must create your own victory- stand back up, no matter how many times it takes!"_

* * *

-for her sake, he will bring back the fight!

* * *

"_BA-BA-BA-BANG! Jipangu Spirit!"_

* * *

"Father!"

The sunglasses-wearing man paused in his work, and looked back.

"Why are you here?" he asked.

The boy clenched his hands into fists, and shouted,

"Because I am the messenger of peace, love, and JUSTICE: SHINJI IKARI!"

* * *

"_Because your wild heart is ready to burst!"_

* * *

The blue-haired girl was alone again.

In the depths of an unknown substance, she was, like she had always been, alone.

Actually, no, that wasn't right. For a time, she was not alone. She once had Ikari with her.

But he was gone. Gone, forever…

"REI!"

Confused, her eyes opened.

And then she looked up.

* * *

"_DA-DA-DA-DANK! Yeah! Dynamite spirit!"_

* * *

"I. Want. Ayanami. Give her back!"

* * *

"_Feel the sleeping vast lands resonate through your feet!"_

* * *

Unit 01 roared, and Shinji Ikari pulled one final time.

He yanked her out of the unknown substance, and embraced her.

Playing in the background, there was a song:

* * *

"_In the endless rain, an invisible force passes through your hand..."_

* * *

The Eva, with the girl saved, performed its final attack.

Its right artificial arm was thrust out.

* * *

"_Crush that undying darkness!"_

* * *

"_**SUPER CRUSH!"**_

* * *

And another victory was scored, and Shinji Ikari returned once more to Tokyo-3- this time with someone to protect.

* * *

"_In this ominous time, in this blissful ignorance…"_

* * *

"Thank you, Ikari-kun."

* * *

"_Confusion rages, disguised in a ninja scroll…"_

* * *

"BAKA-SHINJI!"

* * *

"_Smiling through his sadness, the king of desire,_

_Keeps his cool head-"_

* * *

After many trials, toils, and snares, he finally realized it.

The truth that he had long sought-

* * *

"_All Worldly Things are Transitory!"_

* * *

In the last battlefield- after the death of the silver-haired boy:

He faced those final enemies, replicas of the unit he drove to battle. Alongside him, stood the girl in red and the girl in silver.

Asuka Shikinami Langley grinned- a savage expression worthy of only the most blood-thirsty of fighters.

"Let's do this, Mister Hero!"

Rei Ayanami gave a determined look- an edgy face that spoke of a knight's long history.

"These monsters, who defy God… Their lives are over."

Shinji Ikari nodded once, and an invisible force rushed through his arms.

* * *

"_Somehow it seems that giving up is impossible!_

_This is the time to use the ultimate ninja art!"_

* * *

In the fires of destruction, the three children of fate attacked. And a leading voice shouted:

* * *

"_**FU-RIN-KA-ZAN!"**_

* * *

Somewhere, forgotten, the concert still plays:

* * *

"_BA-BA-BA- BANG! Burning spirit!_

_Your warrior's heart is at critical mass!"_

* * *

Singing the song of hope, shouting with voices that penetrated the fiery air, those who believed sent their support for the boy.

They shouted:

* * *

"_BA-BA-BA- BANG! Burning spirit!"_

* * *

One down, two down, three down, four down.

No matter how many of them were defeated, the others will simply regenerate.

It was a losing battle.

Yet:

* * *

"_The undying flame that can crush mountains!_

_Believe in your heart, reaching out to the shining sun!"_

* * *

They formed a back-to-back-to-back formation. The spear-wielding enemies moved in.

* * *

"_The passion is flaring up! Let its light rush through you like a dragon!"_

* * *

"I am the sword of justice."

"I am the Ace Pilot!"

"I am the burning fist of love and peace!"

And, for GREAT JUSTICE, they shall cut down all the evils of the world.

* * *

"_For your own sake, hit the nail!_

_BURNING BANG!"_

_..._

_..._

_..._

_..._

_..._

_.._

_..._

_..._

_..._

_..._

_...'_

* * *

_(Author's Notes)_

I have no excuses. That song was just... too... catchy!

And let's not get started on Reppuu -Gale-. S-I-S-I-G-A-M-I SISIGAMI BANG BANG! indeed.

Maybe I should do that one sometime...

...nah, that's a bad idea. Still have _Sword of Hunting Serpents_ and _Silver Swords, Black Crows_ to finish off. Hrm... which one should I continue with first...?

Decisions, decisions. The bane of writers everywhere.

Or, I could just wait on my thumb for Chronophantasma's console release.

And then play Hakumen and trash everyone around. Or, I could choose to fight for peace, love, and JUSTICE(!) and pick Bang.

Then again, I heard that it's only going to be divided to three story lines. I'm going to miss my 'One of the possibilities of the Continuum Shift...' endings.

Ah, well. Here I come, Arcade mode. Do you have enough Unlimited Characters in your disposal?


End file.
